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Students lead band’s recording at the Royal Albert Hall

Students lead band’s recording at the Royal Albert Hall

The world-famous surroundings of the Royal Albert Hall have played host to students from the School of Media and Creative Industries filming a performance by the band Everyone You Know for BBC Introducing, which showcases up-and-coming artists.

Everyone You Know, who are performing at Reading and Leeds Festivals this year, spent a day with students in the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall and the set will broadcast on BBC Introducing Beds, Herts & Bucks on BBC Three Counties Radio.

The session, with BA (Hons) Film and Television Production and BA (Hons) Audio and Music Production students, was part of an outside broadcasting module and students said it had been ‘an exceptional opportunity’.

The students regularly record bands and artists for BBC Introducing at the University’s High Wycombe Campus but lecturers said recording at the Royal Albert Hall offered a ‘whole new set of challenges’, which took them ‘out of their comfort zone’.

Film and Television Production student Beth Trevis said: “To go to a different location, especially one as amazing as the Royal Albert Hall, was a great experience.

“From the producing side of things, the way this shoot was organised was obviously completely different to what we would normally have to do so I learnt a lot from it. 

“A lot of planning was involved but it’s so nice to go out of the studio at Bucks New University and work somewhere completely different.

“It’s a massive learning curve but I have learned so much from today and all the preparatory work that has gone in to this.”

William Maxwell was among students involved, as director and said it had been ‘fantastic to see how a professional environment looks at an outside broadcasting event’.

Senior Lecturer Gary Emmins said: “Recording at the Royal Albert Hall gives the students a whole new set of challenges and obstacles in order to record and capture live music.

“It takes them out of their comfort zone and ensures all the experience that they have learnt and gained from regular BBC Introducing sessions comes in to full focus and practice.

“The very association of working with the Royal Albert Hall gives students a sense of the requirements of organising and capturing a prestigious event in a venue steeped in musical history.

“The students were working in a high-pressured professional environment and deal with music industry professionals, staff and their entourage, as well as overcoming many other new obstacles, giving them an invaluable professional experience.”

Ed Cobbold, Education & Outreach Manager at the Royal Albert Hall, said the experience gave students a 'unique opportunity' to work alongside established sound and lighting professionals in a world-class venue.

He said: "The students were taken out of their comfort zone by working off-site but proved more than up to the challenge, applying themselves superbly to the rigours of the task and working well alongside our own technical team.

"We’ve enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with Bucks New University which enables their students to learn more about the music industry, and we look forward to working with them on similar projects in the future.”

Bucks New University has worked with BBC Introducing for more than four years, with up-and-coming bands and artists regularly recording performances at its High Wycombe Campus which have been shown online and broadcast on BBC Three Counties Radio.